The Cornwall Blog

Kingsley Village will host Cornwall’s first home and garden design show, The Cornwall Home Show, on Saturday, 30 April and Sunday, 1 May 2011. The Cornwall Home Show will be a distinctive and vibrant exhibition, celebrating the best of Cornwall’s interior, garden and home design industry. The two day exhibition will showcase a wide variety of products, services and inspirational ideas for the home and garden. The first event of its kind, The Cornwall Home Show is exclusively for Cornish businesses and it will give visitors to the show the chance to see more than 40 of Cornwall’s best home and garden suppliers, all showcasing the very best in home design, sustainable living, furnishing and style under one roof. The exhibition, which is managed by Live Events South West, is calling for specialist suppliers of bespoke, traditional, rustic and contemporary products and services, including; home décor, kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, furniture and fittings, gardens, technology, and renewabl...

Art Inspired of Southern Africa & George Adamson Wildlife Conservation Kenya. On exhibition will be some wildlife paintings, and some of the proceeds will be donated to the Wildlife Foundation as above, as they can only survive through contributions from public. The Lion Painting will be the centre of the exhibition, dedicated to a lion called Christian, whom was bought from Harrods in London in 1960s and then eventually made his way to Kenya, where George took care of him. A percentage of the proceeds of the Large Lion Painting will go to the George Adamson Wildlife Conservation Kenya. Georges's work was made famous by Film & Book "Born Free" and others. Exhibition at Shire Hall, Bodmin 1st to 30th November 2010 Mon to Sat, 10am to 5pm Free admission www.africanvista.info

600 children show their skill in the water during the British Life Saving Sport Nipper Championships, sponsored by South West Water. The event concluded a week of fun and sporting skill on the beach and in the sea for over 1,000 Surf Lifesavers. Back for the second time as part of Henri Lloyd Falmouth Week, Life Saving Sport, based on the equipment used by Lifeguards, is a showcase of the skill and fitness needed to save lives. The event is generously sponsored by South West Water who are delighted to be part of the Championships once again this year, as South West Water Customer Relations Director, Monica Read, explains; “South West Water is pleased to support Surf Life Saving communities around our beautiful coastline, by supporting the development of young Surf Lifesavers we can help to create the next generation of volunteers making our beaches safe”. It was an exciting week, starting with North Devon Surf Life Saving Clubs ruled the roost during the first part of the week with Sa...

Twelve brave Cornwall based business owners and employees will be skydiving for charity on the 25 August, 2010 in aid of the Precious Lives Appeal to help build ‘Little Harbour’ in St Austell, a hospice for life limited children. The individuals taking on the challenge are aiming to raise over £4,000 between them for the charity. The ‘LESW Charity Skydive Challenge 2010’ has been organised by local event management company Live Events South West (LESW) as a means to facilitate and encourage local businesses to kick start, or build on, their corporate social responsibility by supporting local charities. The extra support is encouraged and backed by Children’s Hospice South West. Emma Lloyd, Head of Fundraising for CHSW’s Precious Lives Appeal, says “The LESW Charity Skydive Challenge is a great idea and a brilliant way to get local businesses involved in helping our local cause whilst undertaking something exciting and challenging. We wish the courageous but caring skydivers all the b...

The final preparations are being made for the 2010 RNAS Culdrose Air Day (Wednesday 28th July). With the ‘Vulcan’ making a rare appearance, thrilling flying displays, an action packed military arena and a chance to get up close with the world of Naval Aviation, organisers hope that the public will experience ‘Fly Navy’ whatever the weather. Visitors will be able to see breathtaking displays from some of the worlds most advanced aircraft as they twist, loop and soar through the skies at terrifying speeds. Almost 70 aircraft will give flying displays full of daring manoeuvres and precision flying and further aircraft will be available for static viewing on the ground, allowing the public to get up close to the aircraft and talk to their crews. Culdrose will show off its resident aircraft, there will be helicopter role demonstrations, an appearance from the Great War Display Team and a variety of fast and noisy jets (including a Vietnam era F-86 Sabre and a joint Strike Master/Hawker Hun...

If you are considering a visit to North Cornwall this week, you cannot fail to notice that the County show - The Royal Cornwall - is in full swing. Based on the outskirts of Wadebridge, the show draws in the biggest businesses in Cornwall, showing their wares on stalls and in marquees. In addition, there are numerous livestock competitions, craft exhibitions, games, rides, bars and cafes. The show runs for three days, on June the 11th, 12th and 13th. However, as is often the case, the main event obscures many smaller, more interesting stories. If you prefer to avoid the show crowds and venture down a few country lanes, you will find that Cornwall will give up its secrets to the discerning traveller. The region has always been steeped in myth and legend, which has inspired much of the creativity that has always thrived here. For example, Menabilly, a fifteenth Century manor on the South Coast, just outside St.Austell, provided the inspiration for Manderley in Daphne Du Maurier...

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s RNAS Culdrose Air Day which will be held on Wednesday 28th July 2010. The event, which has become a firm favourite in the Cornish Events Calendar, enables the general public to experience the sights, sounds and smells of one of Europe’s largest helicopter bases. Every day life for Royal Navy Pilots could include hunting for enemy submarines or aircraft in state-of-the art helicopters, flying fast jets armed with air-to-air weapons, transporting troops of Royal Marines Commandos and their equipment or rescuing casualties from sunken vessels. Air Day enables budding fighter pilots and those who once dreamt of flying, to learn about this exciting ‘world of Culdrose’ and see what happens behind the security gates. The organisers of this year’s event are working hard to make it a day to remember. As fast jets, helicopters and military aircraft zoom across the skies, visitors will be able to meet Aircrew who have served on frontline Squadrons all over ...

Originally published in 2010, when Brookfields Bed and Breakfast was under its previous ownership. The accommodation has since changed hands. When you are in need of a peaceful haven and a tranquil escape, the countryside of North Cornwall is hard to beat. Brookfields Bed and Breakfast was set in a quiet rural location within easy reach of Port Isaac, Padstow, Wadebridge and Rock. The house stood within generous grounds and lawns, with wide countryside views for guests to enjoy. Grass paddocks, geese and ducks around the pond helped make Brookfields feel a world away from hectic everyday life. At the time this article was written, the rooms were fresh, bright and comfortably furnished. The breakfast room made the most of the surrounding views, giving guests a peaceful base with good access to some of North Cornwall’s best-known towns and villages. It was one of those hidden places that offered the best of both worlds: rural seclusion and easy access to t...

There is something strangely absorbing about a webcam. One quick look can tell you whether the sea is calm, whether the surf is up, how busy a harbour looks or simply what the weather is doing on another part of the Cornish coast. We have been sharing webcam views of Cornwall for years, and they remain one of the simplest ways to get a little glimpse of the county from wherever you happen to be. Fistral Beach, Newquay Fistral is a particularly useful place to have a camera pointing at the sea. Conditions can look completely different from one day to the next, and a webcam gives surfers, walkers and visitors an immediate idea of what the Atlantic is doing. Eye on Cornwall has a collection of Newquay webcams , including views around Fistral and other beaches in the town. Falmouth Harbour Webcams are just as enjoyable away from the beaches. A view across Falmouth gives a constantly changing picture of harbour life, with yachts, working boats and larger vessels coming and goi...

I want to draw you attention to a true find. Steppes Farm is a 14th Century farmhouse offering 3 self catering barn conversions. The standard of the accommodation is high, a true home from home. With views that wrap around, a spa including sauna and hot tub and even the opportunity to go horse riding. Steppes Farm creates an idyllic getaway, I personally love the idea of being on a farm - all that country charm; geese, lambs, chicks and ponies! Set in a truly romantic situation, on the edge of Bodmin Moor and close to the dramatic, captivating North Coast, Steppes Farm is ideally situated. The accommodation comprises of three cottages, Dove, Owl and Goose all comfortably furnished with log burners for those chilly Winter evenings. There are private gardens, a barbecue area and endless walks around the 20 acres of farm land. Of course in our recent snow this turreted retreat is picture post card material! Emma Julian

There are now only two and a bit weeks left until the deadline for the Govyn Kernewek Award 2010 - don't forget to send us your ideas to be in with a chance of getting £5,000.00 to make a short film! The GOVYN KERNEWEK AWARD is a competitive annual commission of £5,000 to make a short film using Kernewek. The award is supported by Cornwall Film Festival, MAGA and awen productions cic. We are looking for a great idea for a short film that uses Kernewek (the Cornish language) wholly or substantially in an interesting way. It must be viable to make within the £5,000 budget and be completed and delivered by 30th September 2010. We accept ideas of any genre. The suggested title for GK10 is ‘Yn Termyn Eus Passyes’ (Once Upon A Time…) SUBMISSIONS Your proposal must be for a short film with a maximum duration of 20 mins. Your proposal should include a synopsis of your idea, relevant experience, and, if appropriate, details of your proposed production team. Entries are welcome from individu...

The Govyn Kernewek Award is a competitive annual commission of £5,000 to make a short film using Kernewek. The award is supported by Cornwall Film Festival, MAGA and awen productions cic. What we’re looking for is a great idea for a short film that uses Kernewek (the Cornish language) wholly or substantially in an interesting way. It must be viable to make within the £5,000 budget and be completed and delivered by 30th September 2010. We accept ideas of any genre. The suggested title for GK10 is ‘Yn Termyn Eus Passyes’ (Once Upon A Time…) SUBMISSIONS Your proposal must be for a short film with a maximum duration of 20 mins. Your proposal should include a synopsis of your idea, relevant experience, and, if appropriate, details of your proposed production team. Entries are welcome from individuals or teams where the writer, director or producer is resident in Cornwall. To submit your idea, please email a two-page proposal and two-page CV to: info@cornwallfilmfestival.co.uk with GK10 as ...